Its exciting times for anyone interested in our huts and tracks. For 27 years DoC has been struggling to manage all the facilities out there, then last year money became available for volunteers and enthusiastic trampers to fix and develop facilities the users and not necessarily the mangers saw as priorities. The results, and the new partnerships between us and DoC, have surprised many people.
Next weekend in Christchurch Lou Sanson is going to explain how he sees these developments. As well as being an active tramper from way way way back, Lou is the current Director General of the Conservation department of New zealand, so his views will be interesting to compare to the other presenters, who include Robin McNeill speaking as the representative of 15000 odd tramping club members, and Derrick Field who might tell us the best way to fit an evening shoot around painting a biv on a rainy weekend in the Tararuas.
You are invited, all of you. The coffee and cookies will be free! Hint - skip the first hour and turn up at 10am.
http://www.fmc.org.nz/2015/05/08/backcountry-partnership-focus-of-fmc-agm-2015/
That's excellent news Hugh
Oddly enough after you showed us the results of Geoff's efforts at Tunnel Creek I started to have the inclination to maintain one of my favourite huts.
3 years ago I had corresponded with DOC over a few repairs that needed doing and I offered to do them but was told the track crew would take care of it.
Maybe they would feel differently now?
This post has been edited by the author on 4 June 2015 at 15:08.
Maybe Lou Sanson will tell us what care they took and what they're feeling now?
If you are going Hugh it would be good if you give us some feedback on here. Hopefully Andrew will on Permolat. I'm sort of interested in going but need to be in ChCh the following weekend and don't want to drive over to ChCh two weekends running.
Lou, Derrick, Andrew & Geoff } plenty of experience there!
I put out a reminder on permolat but 2 of you already knew that...
I was thinking of going to the meeting myself, it would be interesting to see what DOC and others have to say for themselves.
Unfortunately my wife is in Australia at a conference.
This post has been edited by the author on 10 June 2015 at 11:39.
We've brought our trip to ChCh forward and I'll duck in to try and catch Lou's talk and maybe a bit of the afternoon programme.
I'll be there too. Be good to meet y'all!
And I will be there too. I am talking about Flora hut.
